Aussie Wins YAGP Title

Grace Carroll Wins Senior Womens Group in New York

Youth America Grand Prix 2019

Summer Duyvestyn. Image courtesy Facebook

Last week, over 1,000 young ballet dancers gathered in New York City for the Youth America Grand Prix finals. Aside from the experience and prestige from participating at the finals, the young hopefuls received the chance to compete for scholarships and contracts to some of the world’s top ballet schools and companies.

Around 85 dancers made it to the final round at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Wednesday 17th April, in the 20th anniversary of the YAGP. The final announcements were made on April 21st.

This year, several Australian dancers made it through to the last rounds and received titles.

Grace Carroll, 15, who trains at the Tanya Pearson Academy in Sydney, won first place in the Senior Womens Solo Division for 15-19yrs, cementing her win with a sublime and mature variation from Paquita. Her placing saw her offered a full year placements at Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco, the San Francisco Ballet School and the Joffrey Academy of Dance, as well as having been invited to a private audition for the Paris Opera Ballet School.

Stephanie McQuire. Image courtesy Facebook

Two other Australians to be acknowledged at YAGP 2019 are Summer Duyvestyn and Stephanie McQuire.

Summer Duyvestyn, 12, received the Shelley King Award for Excellence, after placing in the Top 12 for her Junior Women age division and dancing a variation from Talisman in her solo. Summer is a student of Classical Coaching Australia in Brisbane.

Stephanie McQuire, 13, also from Tanya Pearson Academy, was offered a full year scholarship to the John Cranko School of the Stuttgart Ballet.

The overall major title winner of the Grand Prix Award was Gabriel Figueredo, 18, from the John Cranko School in Germany. While the Youth Grand Prix winner was Darrion Sellman, 14, from Los Angeles Ballet Academy.